Picture/video of the great Davidoff cigar bonfire

[CaptainQuintero]

Does it exist? I'm just wondering as it must have been a site. Wondering also if the crazy old barnpot was smart enough to not be on the island when he did it!

[PapaDisco]

Yeah, damn good point. After Zino claimed to have invented the internet . . . er, humidor . . . I think I want to see video evidence of any other outlandish claims by Msr. Davidoff!

[cottierm]

The burning happened in Switzerland in 1989 if I remember correctly. There may be some pictures of it but I doubt that, at that time, they would have recorded that on film.

[cottierm]

The whole episode is, for instance, described in Dieter H. Wirtz’s book (Davidoff: Legend - Myth - Reality, Berlin: Econ, 2006, 31-46). The author tried to contextualize it but the story remains far from clear as far as the reasons for this action are concerned.

Best,

Michel

[Pedro2486]

I'm reading this in my ipad (inventor: zino davidoff) while sitting on my hammock chair (inventor: zino davidoff) smoking a lovely parti short (inventor: zino davidoff) lit with my butane jet lighter (invented by who?: zino davidoff) which I took from my desktop humidor (invented by whom you say? Bam, zino davidoff). I'm listening to a history podcast (read by the multi-faceted mr. Zino. Davidoff esq. ) thru these Bose noise cancelling headphones (original concept: zino "mad skillz" davidoff"

:D:D

[jimschn]

Why would you want to watch that? It would be painful to watch..

[shlomo]

this story gets bigger and bigger every year. id like to see pics too, cuz i just dont believe it.

[hounser]

I'm reading this in my ipad (inventor: zino davidoff) while sitting on my hammock chair (inventor: zino davidoff) smoking a lovely parti short (inventor: zino davidoff) lit with my butane jet lighter (invented by who?: zino davidoff) which I took from my desktop humidor (invented by whom you say? Bam, zino davidoff). I'm listening to a history podcast (read by the multi-faceted mr. Zino. Davidoff esq. ) thru these Bose noise cancelling headphones (original concept: zino "mad skillz" davidoff"

Now that's funny!

[Smallclub]

this story gets bigger and bigger every year. id like to see pics too, cuz i just dont believe it.

In 1989 the conflict between Cubatabaco (headed by Francisco Padron) and Davidoff, was reported in all newspapers in France, including Zino Davidoff's claim about destruction of cigars but I can't remember one single picture of the supposed bonfire, and I can't find one in the newspapers online archives.

The cigar revolution was not televised!

[Nino]

I remember seeing a b/w picture of the bonfire somewhere years ago, but can't find any.

Thought the biography of Zino by Wirtz that Michel refers to would include one.

Will ask my friend Mr Portmann in Switzerland, he might know or remember as he was a business partner of Zino.

[Puros Y Vino]

I could have sworn the account I read of the incident had TV coverage and an interview with Mr Davidoff.

[cottierm]

No image of the 'bonfire' in Wirtz’s book, Nino.

The only article I was able to find on the web reporting on that incident is the following (in French and without image):

http://archives.leso...817-Z01X2L.html

Frank (Smallclub) has probably other web references.

[Smallclub]

Frank (Smallclub) has probably other web references.

Nothing more detailed than the article from Le Soir that you quoted, yet…

[CaptainQuintero]

You'd think that if the burning did take place then it would have been for publicity reasons so photo evidence would be far and wide.

[Ryan]

Zino was quite the publicist, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but given that fact, I would have thought photographs of the burning (I too have had my doubts whether it happened) would be easier to come by.

Every now and then, officials in Kenya burn a mound of seized elephant ivory to make a point. There are more photographers than tusks at those things.

[Oscar300]

I call hoax, may the great Davidoff! cigar hunt begin..........

[Smallclub]

I could have sworn the account I read of the incident had TV coverage and an interview with Mr Davidoff.

I honestly doubt that you've seen images of the bonfire. In 1989 I was already interested in cigars, my father was a proud signatory of the Davidoff shop's Livre d'Or ( Golden Book), I can tell you that the spectacle of the destruction of 130 000 Davidoff cigars should have left me an indelible memory…

[Orion21]

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Zino buried the loot to create this fuss

Twenty five years later we still discuss

The "destruction" of his cigars

Que the auctionieer who cheers

"Another record sale" Zino would have been proud

Because there is nothing better than pleasing the crowd

[Puros Y Vino]

I honestly doubt that you've seen images of the bonfire. In 1989 I was already interested in cigars, my father was a proud signatory of the Davidoff shop's Livre d'Or ( Golden Book), I can tell you that the spectacle of the destruction of 130 000 Davidoff cigars should have left me an indelible memory…

I never claimed to have seen it. Only read an account of it online somewhere. (Can't remember where though)

[Smallclub]

I never claimed to have seen it. Only read an account of it online somewhere. (Can't remember where though)

Online? As previouly said it was on all french swiss and belgian newspaper, in 1989… but no pix!

[rckymtn22]

Maybe they are being destroyed by bonfire one cigar at a time!

[Nino]

I never claimed to have seen it. Only read an account of it online somewhere. (Can't remember where though)

Claim on, Frank - you might be onto something as there is a Wiki entry that mentions the bonfire :

Apparently after numerous disputes over quality and ownership rights over the brand, Zino Davidoff and Cubatabaco decided to end their relationship. Leading up to this, in August 1989 Zino had publicly burned over one hundred thousand of his cigars that he had deemed of low quality and unfit to sell.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davidoff

And, just to avoid any misunderstandings :

Just because the picture of the Dom Perignon cigar and the DP bubbly in the article happens to be mine :

http://en.wikipedia....m_Perignons.JPG

it doesn't mean I had a hand in that entry besides smoking the cigar and drinking the champers.....

The information just reached me that said bonfire took place in Basilea, not Geneva.

Might get a picture of it early next week.

We'll see.

[CaptainQuintero]

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, that's how World War 1 started

[Nino]

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, that's how World War 1 started

Does it exist at all -

and if your Internet doesn't exist, I'll be quite happy to post on my Internet, was working last I checked.

[Smallclub]

The information just reached me that said bonfire took place in Basilea, not Geneva.

Which would make sense as the Oettinger was (and still is) based in this city.